ClutchPoints
What the Pittsburgh Steelers do with Justin Fields and what happens with George Pickens will greatly affect what they need to do with their roster. But here is the perfect trade the Steelers must offer the Rams for Cooper Kupp.
Kupp is one of the more overrated players in the league in terms of honors. He has been considered one of the NFL’s best receivers but has only made one Pro Bowl appearance in his eight NFL seasons. Granted, he also earned AP Offensive Player of the Year in that 2021 campaign. But Kupp’s career has been hindered by a series of injuries that have forced him to miss almost 30 games in his career.
So teams should beware of what they are trading for in Kupp.
It’s not out of the realm of possibility for the Steelers to give up a third-round pick for Kupp. That would be a steal for the Rams and a mistake for the Steelers. Over the last three seasons, Kupp played in only 23 games. And he will be 32 years old in June.
The reason the Steelers want Kupp is their shaky wide receiver position, according to cbssports.com.
“The Steelers have been in the market for a wide receiver for some time now,” Jordan Dajani wrote. “Maybe Kupp isn’t Brandon Aiyuk, but he is a playmaker who would add something to this offense — and this offense needs a makeover. Pittsburgh makes the decision to part ways with a third-round pick since Los Angeles agrees to send a sixth-rounder back while taking on a chunk of Kupp’s salary. The salary L.A. has to eat to move on from Kupp is something that may make or break potential deals.”
So the complications are there. Kupp’s value is not that high, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on espn.com via heavy.com.
“The executives I’ve been texting with today do believe that Cooper Kupp will have a market,” Fowler said. “Because he’s quarterback friendly, he can make contested catches, and he is still the smartest guy on any field he steps on. And he is a hard worker that can set a tone with a new franchise.
“But we might not be talking about a robust market because of the age. The declining production, some of the injuries, and then he’s due $20 million next year. (And) $5.5 million of that is guaranteed. I don’t doubt that the Rams would eat some of the money to facilitate a trade, so that could certainly help matters.”
Pickens is their most valuable wide receiver. But the team doesn’t seem to know whether it can depend on Pickens, not only weekly but also for the long run. Head coach Mike Tomlin said that Pickens needs to be more mature, according to a post on X by Aaron Becker.
#Steelers HC Mike Tomlin on WR George Pickens’ unsportsmanlike penalties.
*“He’s just got...
